Next NewB question...brake hoses

[Steve Meltzer]

I'm sorry if I'm making everyone crazy but I'm trying to do this right, if possible. The car is very nice and correct, but I am driving it and plan to continue to do so. The brake hoses are "Weatherhead" hoses and so labeled with 1987 dates. This seems old to me, although they look good from the outside. Given the circumstances of the car being driven fairly commonly, should they be replaced? The replacement hoses I have purchased and can return are from John's Mustang and they are not "Weatherhead labeled, and the fittings are a semi-gloss metal finis and not the yellow/gold CAD finish I currently have on my existing hoses. Any thoughts about what I should do and, if I get new hoses", where would I find the "Weatherhead" kind or should I even bother? Thank you so much for your patience and advice. steve

[Coralsnake]

I would be very surprised if the car has 1987 dated brake hoses on it. Most likely they are copies of the originals with vintage date codes

[azdriver]

If you are looking for correct hoses, try DSD restorations...

Pat

[Steve Meltzer]

Thanks for the info. Here are a couple of pictures; one from the front and one of the single rear hose. I don't know if those hoses should be replaced just on the basis of their age or not thoughts? thanx steve

[Bob Gaines]

I'm sorry if I'm making everyone crazy but I'm trying to do this right, if possible. The car is very nice and correct, but I am driving it and plan to continue to do so. The brake hoses are "Weatherhead" hoses and so labeled with 1987 dates. This seems old to me, although they look good from the outside. Given the circumstances of the car being driven fairly commonly, should they be replaced? The replacement hoses I have purchased and can return are from John's Mustang and they are not "Weatherhead labeled, and the fittings are a semi-gloss metal finis and not the yellow/gold CAD finish I currently have on my existing hoses. Any thoughts about what I should do and, if I get new hoses", where would I find the "Weatherhead" kind or should I even bother? Thank you so much for your patience and advice. steve

Of course you can be on a slippery slope using the something is old so maybe I should replace yardstick . Countless things safety and otherwise can potentially fall into that category. If you are compelled to replace otherwise road worthy original brake hoses (no cracks and no swelling or constricted rubber material )then DSD restorations has the closest replacements IMO.

[Bob Gaines]

Thanks for the info. Here are a couple of pictures; one from the front and one of the single rear hose. I don't know if those hoses should be replaced just on the basis of their age or not thoughts? thanx steve

Picture of the front is not showing brake hose . The rear brake is a service replacement . The DOT made a mandatory changes to the crimping on the brake hoses starting in 1970 .

[Steve Meltzer]

Bob, what did i photograph? s

[J_Speegle]

Bob, what did i photograph? s

Not Bob  But appears to be the starter cable

[Lincoln tech]

Bob, what did i photograph? s

Looks like battery cable

[Bob Gaines]

What they said 

[Steve Meltzer]

I hate eating crow for breakfast! But I clearly looked like a clown when I hurriedly took that picture of what is obviously the battery cable. I was just scrambling around yesterday afternoon trying to get things done and get these photos posted. I am not a mechanic nor have I had any training whatsoever in this arena, but I do know a battery cable from a brake hose, though I didn't prove that yesterday! Here are two shots of the brake hoses in question. Now I'm ready for comments about them. Sorry about the display of ignorance. Steve.

[KR Convertible]

They look like generic hoses.  If there are no visible cracks and you don't have any brake pulling, I wouldn't worry about them right away.

I would be more concerned with the ripped ball joint boot and the tire rub.

[Steve Meltzer]

Yes! The ball joint boots are to be replaced while the car is up and the mechanic is invading my wallet. However, I'm not sure about the front tires. Perhaps I need to go to a more narrow front tire. The car drives nice and straight, and it arrived in my hands with bent chrome as you see.

Although it's only indirectly my problem to solve, how would you go about compressing the springs without scarring them up or damaging the nice finish that is on them.?

Thanks for your ideas. Most appreciated. Steve

[Bob Gaines]

From the information offered from the picture at the very least the hose is a Ford later service replacement worse generic replacement . +1 on torn ball joint boot.

[Bob Gaines]

Yes! The ball joint boots are to be replaced while the car is up and the mechanic is invading my wallet. However, I'm not sure about the front tires. Perhaps I need to go to a more narrow front tire. The car drives nice and straight, and it arrived in my hands with bent chrome as you see.

Although it's only indirectly my problem to solve, how would you go about compressing the springs without scarring them up or damaging the nice finish that is on them.?

Thanks for your ideas. Most appreciated. Steve

NPD sells a front spring compressor that connects to the upper shock bracket and takes the place of the shock. The lower half connects to the spring perch thus using the spring perch on the lower half and the upper rubber coil spring pad to sandwich the coil springs lessening the chance of damage to the finish of the coil spring.       https://www.npdlink.com/product/coil-spring-compressor/217530?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dcoil%252Bspring%252Bcompressor%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D